(Ephesians 2:3-6): "God who is rich in mercy, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together and made us sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

Causes for stress and depression:

1. The World Situation: No one is safe in today’s world. Terrorism is a constant threat. Consider the thought of a dirty bomb exploding in Los Angeles.
2. Heredity: Alcoholism, homosexuality, overweight are all influenced by genetics.
3. Failed Relationships: The death of a spouse, a child, or a divorce, usually takes two years to get over.
4. The Church: Is a cause of stress for members of the Worldwide Church of God. We’ve come through so many changes that it creates "culture shock." Other churches are going through changes as well. This church is not about Saturday or Sunday, but about Ephesians 1-3.
5. The Mystery of Ourselves: Mr. Armstrong was more of a Christian philosopher than a theologian.

Recommended reading: Scott Peck’s book The Road Less Traveled is an excellent source of help for dealing with depression and anxiety. Peck was depressed for an entire year when he turned fifty-five. He didn’t know the cause, but just toughed it out. After a year he came out of the depression, having learned a great deal from the experience.

Peck recognized the whole process is one of confronting and solving problems. It is through the pain of confronting problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. He recommends that we "welcome" the pain of problems. In fearing the pain, we attempt to avoid the problems. The tendency to avoid problems is the first basis of mental illness. A person tries to avoid problems by the use of drugs, food, relationships, etc. which only creates bigger problems resulting in neurosis. Neurosis is a substitute for facing problems. In mental illness, people stop growing. How then can we get a grip?

1. Remember God’s Promises.

   (1 Corinthians 10:31): "Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God." God is faithful and will make the way to bear whatever the problem is.

2. Learn to go with the flow instead of resisting the chance to grow through adversity.

   (Jonah 1). The case history of a schizoid. The background of Jonah is found in 2 Kings 14:23. Who was Jonah? He was a very successful prophet as long as God was working through Jonah’s paradigm, "Israel good, Gentiles bad." God had a different paradigm, and when Jonah was told to go to Nineveh he tried to escape. While on board the ship, during the storm, Jonah was asleep and probably in a state of acute depression. He was willing to be thrown overboard, facing death rather than to face his problems. After God forces Jonah to carry out His mission, and face the situation. Jonah exhibits anger and God treats him like a psychologist saying, "Jonah, you’re angry." God had broken Jonah’s paradigm. He broke up Jonah’s old thought processes and opinions – just as we need to learn to give up our old thought patterns and opinions.

3. Cultivate a sense of the ridiculous. Humor is an antidote to depression and stress. Great men can sort of laugh and find something humorous in the face of adversity.
   
4. Be ready for your next teacher. God sends people all the time, perhaps in church or at work, to teach us things. Be open, be ready and have an ear for wisdom.

(Daniel 5:11): "There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, I say, your father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers."

It’s important to remember God’s promises. Learn to go with the flow. "If you’ve been around this long, you might as well stick around and see how things turn out."

(Hebrews 13:5): "Let your conduct be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake thee."

Sermon summary prepared by local Glendora church members John & Pat Hopkinson.